Admiral vessel of French research, the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) is launching a program to attract foreign scientists whose work is threatened, especially in the United States-a movement encouraged by the executive.
The first contacts reflect a “Small momentum”which concerns “For the vast majority of non-Americans”explains to AFP Antoine Petit, CEO of CNRS.
The organization, the first in Europe in terms of research with 34,000 agents, opens their arms to “Colleagues today prevented from doing research”but also to French expatriate researchers, some of which have ” not want to live and raise their children in the United States of Trump ”he said.
This initiative, baptized ” Choose CNRS “(” Choose the CNRS “), follows that driven by the executive with the mid-April announcement of a platform” Choose France for science« .
“Foreign researchers have already arrived in France to familiarize themselves with the infrastructure awaiting the establishment of funds and the platform”it is indicated to the French Ministry of Research.
These programs follow the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron of a conference in Paris of the research community, scheduled for Monday.
Titled ” Choose science choose Europe“, The event in which the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will participate, intends to mean “In a moment when academic freedoms experience a number of reflux or threats, whether Europe is a continent of attractiveness”according to the French presidency.
Pioneer of this movement in March with its program ” Safe place for science “(” A safe place for science “), the University of Aix-Marseille, in the south-east of France, will welcome its first researchers in June.
Nerve of war
Since the return of Donald Trump to the White House in January, researchers and universities have been in the crosshairs of his government and have been afraid for their future, between academic freedoms and mine research, sanded funding.
With its initiative, the CNRS, which is used to recruiting non-French researchers up to a third party each year in its classic competitions, aims at four auditors, post-doctoral students-some of which could expect lasting jobs-up to possible “stars” of global research, on international chairs.
Without the need to pay them better than the best already used, according to his CEO.
He said he was convinced that “The motivation of a researcher is never remuneration”but above all “The working environment, with its infrastructure, and the possibility of confronting the best”.
Not to mention that once integrated the costs related to education, health and social protection, the remuneration differences seem lower.
However, the money remaining the nerve of the war to finance research, the manager notes that the room for maneuver of the CNRS is “Not very tall”.
He places his hopes in the announcement on the platform ” Choose France That the State could abound up to 50% of the cost of research projects, to merit and on the funds of the France 2030 program.
“It is at European level that the effort must be made”recently noted the French Minister of Research Philippe Baptiste. And not only for questions of money, but also for the free movement of researchers or knowledge.
“We think of France-Universités that it is the scale on which we must work”also underlines to AFP his vice-president Jean-François Huchet, recalling that “Research Europe must still be formed”.
“What we can do for researchers in the United States could speed up movement and improve our devices”he adds.
For example, in access to certain databases, shared with the United States, which could be threatened. Which “Asks the question of our sovereignty”warns the manager.
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